Moonlight Dancers
by moonlightwriter66
Summary: Back when she was little, her mom took Katara to the Moonlight Dancers' show. Ever since, Katara desperately wanted to be a part of the traveling group, but after both her mother's and her Gran-Gran's deaths, where will Katara find hope? hintZUKOhint
1. Flashbacks

**A/N: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Actually, I think it's kind of good that they decided to make it Kataang, because then we Zutarians can write all kinds of wonderful stories about what **_**should've **_**happened. **

**Don't get me wrong, Zutara still dominates! :)**

She moved with the flow of the water. Her movements were as steady and smooth as water itself. She learned to rely on herself, that she didn't need anybody else. She was her own teacher. She didn't have the privileges the other girls had. They could take dance lessons, even if they didn't want to. They complained that ballet was a pain, but they didn't know how lucky they were. She didn't have enough money, or the permission to get in. She had to learn by herself, with herself, and herself alone. Her name was Katara. The only waterbender left in the whole South Pole.

Nobody was there for her anyway. She would have given up hope a long time ago, if it wasn't for her Gran-Gran, Kana. She was the only one who supported her, but just last week, she passed away. Katara made her a promise. She promised that she would never give up hope, and if, no, _when _she reached her goal, she would owe it all to Kana, to her mother, to all the people who helped her. Sokka, was no help whatsoever. _He _thought dancing was a waste of time, and that only girls could do something that useless. That sexist imbecile! He had no idea how much she wanted this. For a second, she lost her balance thinking of her idiot brother, but she instantaneously regained her posture, and acted like it never happened. It's not like she didn't love Sokka. It was just that he didn't understand anything, and he never really cared about what she wanted. This was partially because Sokka had to take care of the two of them, just himself, and that put a lot of pressure on him lately. Katara helped him, but Sokka insisted on hunting, fishing, and getting firewood. He made Katara do all the "woman chores". Like she said. Sexist imbecile. She didn't mind doing the dishes, it helped her practice her waterbending. Of course, she wasn't too good at the age of 13, but it her determination and persistence made her capable of learning anything. When Katara was little, her mother used to learn new waterbending moves, and try to teach them to Katara, even though her mom wasn't a waterbender. "Follow my movements," She used to say, and that was the way her mom taught Katara. Thinking of her mom brought back the Moonlight Dancers' show.

"_Mom! Mom! Where are you taking me?" Little 5-year-old Katara asked. Her big blue eyes stared into her mom's with wonder._

"_You'll see, and I think you'll love it," her mom, Kya, replied, taking Katara's gloved hand in hers. Katara giggled with excitement, and ran as fast as her little legs could take her._

_Her mom had taken her to an enormous ice stage, with people sitting beneath it, staring up at a person talking. She had a loud voice, and it rang through the stadium._

"_Welcome, one and all, to our wonderful Moonlight Dancers Show! I hope you enjoy our lovely performance!" She bowed._

_That is when the other dancers came out. They wore tight blue clothing, and black ballet shoes. Women had their hair braided, or in a bun, and wore long thin skirts, that start out blue at the waist and fade to white at the bottom. Katara remembered looking at their tight blue shirts and thinking, _Wow, they're sparkly...

_Katara watched their movements with amazement. There were two boys and five girls, all of which looked like they were in their teens. Two of the girls looked like twins. The two men rose up into the air on the ice pillars they waterbended from the stage. They made two water whips and whipped them across the stage, like light beams at a concert. On the bottom, the women twirled and leaped, and bending water simultaneously. One lady leaped out toward the audience, and Katara, who thought she was going to fall of the stage, held her breath. When the woman landed, she landed at the very edge of the stage, smiled and back flipped away._

_Katara tugged on Kya's sleeve. "Mommy, that girl is my favorite!" She breathed. Her mom looked down at her and smiled, but said nothing, for Katara's attention was back on the dancers._

_Katara watched as her "favorite" spun on a water pillar that spun with her. When she leaped off, she landed in a perfect pirouette, and the water pillar dissipated into a million glowing water droplets._

_Katara clapped as hard as she could and everybody in the crowd cheered wildly. After a long applause, the show was over, and the crowd left. As they walked away, Kya asked her daughter, "So, did you like it?"_

"_Oh yes, mommy, I loved it! Do you think when I grow up _I _can be one of those dancers, too?" Katara asked, her eyes full of hope._

"_Definitely," Her mom replied. Katara smiled._

_A few months after the show, her mother got taken away by the fire nation. They took every waterbender in sight. Katara was confused. "Why did they take mommy, Gran-Gran? She didn't do anything wrong."_

_Her Gran-Gran sighed. "That is because they want all the waterbenders," she replied._

"_But mommy isn't a waterbender..." Katara whispered._

"_I know, honey, I know."_

_After that, Kya never returned. When Katara was little, she always hoped that one day her mom would come back, and she would tell her that it was just a vacation, and that everything was alright. _

But as she grew older, Katara knew better. She knew that her mother wasn't going to come back. . She was never happy anymore. She wasn't the same girl she was 8 years ago. She sighed. Then she flashed back to the day Kana died. It wasn't too long ago, so it was still fresh in Katara's mind.

_Kanna gave her a weak smile._

"_I'm going to be alright, darling, I know I am," She whispered._

_Katara gave her Gran-Gran a sad smile. "Liar."_

_Her grandmother sighed. "I guess you're not as easily fooled as your brother, huh?"_

_Katara scoffed. She took her grandmother's hands and whispered, "He wasn't fooled, Gran-Gran. He was holding it in. I know he's crying inside, but he's too much of a _man _to show it." _

_Kanna smiled, then broke into a coughing fit. "Katara, listen to me. No matter what comes your way, no matter how much pain you might feel, I want you to listen to your heart. It always seems to know the right answer."_

"_I will, Gran-Gran. And thank you for helping me and supporting me through everything. I will follow my dream, and I'll remember you every step of the way." She started crying._

"_Katara, wherever you find love, you will find support." Kanna closed her eyes, and gave Katara's hand one last squeeze._

"_No...Not now, Gran-Gran..." but it was too late. She was gone. Katara sobbed into her grandmother's arms._

As she did her daily stretches, Katara put a hand to her cheek. It was wet.

**A/N: Tell me if you like the story...trust me, it gets better later on. **


	2. Hope

**A/N: Zuko's story**

Zuko's dad disowned him when he was little because he thought of his son as a disgrace to the family. To make his point, he left a scar on his face. His mother left before he was disowned, so Zuko's uncle raised him instead. He had an evil little sister, Azula, who, according to his father, was a child prodigy. She was daddy's little girl, and there was no place for Zuko left in his tiny, cold heart. Zuko is fifteen years old now, and works for the Moonlight Dancers. No, he wasn't part of the dancing group. Instead, he _serves tea _to them. _It's ridiculous, from royalty to _tea maker.He thinks bitterly. He has, however, made a few friends in the group.Mya and Shya, twins who are both 27, came to the group at the age of 18. Mya was outgoing, loud, and easily distracted. Shya was shy and smart, and terribly nice. There was also Aleta, the leader of the group. She was strong and stubborn, and sort of a pessimist. Zuko didn't know the names of anybody else in the group. Once their show was done, they'd all go backstage and get some tea and food. Zuko was busboy, waiter, and janitor, so he had to clean, serve, and wash the dishes. At times he hated his job, but talking to the dancers always cheered him up. Most of the time he didn't bother to see the shows, they were almost always the same.

One day, he was serving tea to the dancers while they were in an argument. They were sitting at a long rectangular table, and Aleta sat at the end of it. The room was brightly lit, and Zuko was refilling the empty teacups.

"We don't _need _a new dance routine!" One of the male performers said.

"Yes we do," Aleta began calmly. "We have performed in almost every major stadium there is. When we make our fourth trip around the world, the audience won't want to see the same exact performance again!"

The man scoffed. "They won't _remember_ the last performance we did! It's been too long."

"On the contrary, my dear, our performances are so spectacular, it's impossible to forget! Face it, we _need _a new routine, and we better come up with one soon, or we'll go out of business!" Aleta countered.

"I still say that a new routine isn't necessary," He said obstinately.

"Actually, I agree with Aleta," came a quiet voice. They all turned their heads to look at who was speaking. Shya turned red. "It is probably best if we do start a new routine, or people will get bored and stop paying us to perform," She added.

Mya jumped in. "Well if we do need a routine, then we better think fast, peoples. We need to rehearse and practice, and even before that, the new routine has to be bigger and better than the old one."

"It'll be too much work!" The man protested.

"Aw, afraid of a little work, are you?" Aleta teased. Zuko snickered at her reply.

The man reddened. "You mind your own business," he snarled.

Zuko growled.

"That's enough, don't drag the poor boy into this," Aleta said.

The man mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Aleta asked.

"Nothing..." He muttered.

"That's right. Now, all in favor of a new routine say 'aye'," Aleta said.

"Aye," everybody said in unison, even the man who protested before said it reluctantly.

"Good. I'm glad we can all agree on something for once," Aleta said happily.

"Katara, can't you do anything else besides _dance?_" Sokka asked.

Katara ignored her irritating brother.

"Katara, are you listening to me?"

She continued to ignore him.

"KATARA, RESPOND!" Sokka yelled.

Katara swiftly turned around to look at her brother. She glared at him with dangerously narrowed eyes. "Do you _know _how much this _means _to me?"

Sokka glared back. "Do you know how _hard _I've worked to feed you and to keep us _alive?_" Sokka said. "And you don't even _appreciate _it!" he exclaimed.

Katara's gaze softened slightly. "I do appreciate you, Sokka. But you've never cared about what I wanted."

"Oh, I'm _sorry, _I was just too busy getting food and cooking!" Sokka replied.

Her gaze hardened again. "No, Sokka. Even before Gran-Gran died, you didn't care. You never have."

Sokka was shocked. He didn't think his support mattered so much to his sister. "Katara—"

"Ever since Gran-Gran died, nobody was there for me. How do you think I felt, Sokka?" Katara said in a wobbly voice.

"Katara I—"

"Go away."

"No but—"

"_Go. Away._"

Sokka sighed. He left, and when Katara heard his footsteps fade away, a tear slipped down her cheek.

After a few hours, Sokka came back. Katara looked at him. He averted his eyes and refused to look at Katara.

"Sokka, I'm sorry, but I do really I appreciate you. I know it's been hard for you these couple days and—"

"No, Katara" Sokka began. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you needed me so much, and I promise I'll always be there for you, no matter what happens." He pulled out something from behind his back and smiled. "I got something for you," he said happily while waving it in front of Katara's face. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was.

"Sokka...you didn't!"

"I did!"

"You shouldn't have!" She said, and ran into his arms, embracing her beloved brother. He handed the scroll to her.

"I had to," He replied, his blue eyes danced.

"Oh, you're so wonderful...this is the happiest I've been in years!" She exclaimed, and it wasn't a lie. She rolled open the scroll to find many different waterbending styles, forms, and techniques. "Oh, wow!" She squeaked.

Her brother laughed. "Go, practice. I'll cook up dinner."

She hugged him one last time before dashing out of her house and to her favorite pond. There, she learned five new moves in only one hour. Then Sokka called her in for dinner. She ran inside, still smiling.

While eating dinner, Katara couldn't help but hum quietly to herself. She didn't even notice until she found her brother staring at her strangely.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

"Oh, nothing...it's just that...isn't that the song the Moonlight Dancers danced to?"

"Really? It is? I just thought it was some song I made up," Katara said.

"Yeah, it's definitely the song. I can't believe you remembered all this time," Sokka remarked.

"Me neither..." She said mused. "It's the song I always danced to..."

Sokka laughed. "Maybe you _were _born to be a Moonlight Dancer!"

"You think so?" Katara said hopefully.

"I know so, little sis."

Katara grinned.

"What do you mean you _miscalculated?_" Aleta exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well...you see, I thought there were 8 members in the group, and I gave two girls two different solos..." explained Mya.

"What? Who will do the other solo then?" Aleta asked.

"Well, I don't know..." Mya confessed.

Aleta rubbed her temples. "This is not good...this was our only free day! We don't have time to come up with another routine! I guess we'll have to use it then..."

"But what about the extra?" Mya asked.

"We're going to have to hire another dancer."

**A/N: Ah, there's hope for you, Katara! Did you guys like this chapter? I would love your feedback! Thank you!**


	3. Auditions

**A/N: Thank you AnnaAza for being the first one to review! (and giving me the courage to continue this story!) This one's for you, AnnaAza!**

Auditions. They irritated her to no end. Nobody had the talent. No, the North Pole's people were all the same, same dance moves, same waterbending technique. There was no one special bender, no one had the right..._stuff. _They were all a bunch of clones. She shouted "NEXT!" so many times that her throat was beginning to get sore. Then this one kid came to the stage. Aleta looked at him with curiosity. He took his stance, and his mouth started to foam. He waved both arms up and down in unison and shook his head around like a crazed lunatic. Aleta was completely and utterly bewildered and slightly disgusted.

"Next," she said impassively.

He stopped his crazed foaming and shaking and left the stage, leaving a foamy path.

Aleta wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Can I get somebody to clean up that mess?" She called.

Zuko came up to the stage with a mop and a bucket. "I got it," He replied. "So, did you find anyone?"

"No," she said exasperatedly. "Nobody's got the talent."

"Why don't we go to the South Pole?" Zuko suggested.

"Because there are no more waterbenders there!" She replied. "The Fire Nation took them all away," she added bitterly. Zuko looked down in shame. He used to be part of the Fire Nation. Nobody knew that, though.

"I guess we're going to have to stick with the old routine after all," Aleta sighed.

"Well, when's our next show in the South Pole?" Zuko asked.

"Probably a long time from now, why?" She replied

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to hold an audition anyway, right?" Zuko said.

"Nah, it'll be a waste of time."

Zuko shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just trying to help."

OoOoOoOo

Half a month later, after getting kicked out of almost everywhere for "unoriginality", Aleta and her crew of dancers headed down to the South Pole.

Aleta was born in the Southern Water Tribe, but left to join the Moonlight Dancers, and soon enough, became their leader. When she first came to the group, she felt insignificant, small, and inferior. At least, that's how everyone treated her. She was, and still remains the youngest in the group, but she was such a magnificent dancer, it didn't matter how old she was. She was also the only Southern Water Tribe waterbender in the group, too.

When they reached their destination, after a day of sailing on the rough ocean, she was relieved to see her birthplace once more.

"This is one place I _can't _get kicked out of. I mean, I'm family!" Aleta said, trying to reassure herself. "I'm the first and last waterbender to survive." She didn't know, however, that there was one more waterbender left, and she was more than 10 years younger than her.

OoOoOoO

Katara had been waiting for this day for a long time. The dancers who inspired her were actually coming! Today! There was a reason why today was so special, besides the fact that the dancers were coming.

Sokka entered her room, carrying her breakfast. "Happy birthday, Katara!" He whispered, kissing her on the forehead.

She smiled. Never once did Sokka forget her birthday, and she was glad to have a brother like him. Sokka set the plate on the nightstand beside her bed, then asked his usual question, "So, how old are you this year?"

Katara's smile grew wider. She knew that Sokka asked this question every year. He started this custom when he was seven. That night, on her birthday, he had asked, "Wait, how old are you this time, Katara?"

She had glared at him and answered, "I'm six, you dumbhead!" Sokka asked her that because when he was little he thought that someday Katara would be the same age as him, and then later on _she _would be older than him.

He told Gran-Gran what he thought, and she laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, honey, you will always be one year older than her." Then Sokka would sigh with relief.

"I'm fourteen, you idiot," she whispered with a grin.

Sokka pretended to be relieved and sighed. "Thank goodness."

Katara giggled. Sokka squeezed her hand and left to make his own breakfast.

After he left, Katara quickly finished her breakfast and joined her brother in the kitchen.

"Thanks for making me sea prunes, Sokka," Katara said.

"I know it's your favorite," Sokka replied.

Katara hugged him and said, "You're the best, you know that?"

"I know. I try."

Katara smirked and grabbed her waterbending scroll. "I'll be back in an hour or two, okay Sokka?" She said.

"Alright, have fun," Sokka replied.

She put on her warm jacket and boots, and left. She had four more moves to accomplish, and they were pretty challenging. She also had to find a way to incorporate them into her dance moves.

She set down her scroll beside her on her left while she faced the pond.

"Lets…try…this one," She said to herself, pointing at a move that looked quite similar to the water whip.

She looked at the stances, and memorized them.

At first she moved slowly, checking if her positions were exactly the same as the ones on the scroll. She practiced a few times until she was sure she got them perfect. Then it was time to add in the water.

She drew the water from the pond, and created a water ball. That's how most of the waterbending moves started out. Then she stretched out the water ball into a long whip by stretching her arms out horizontally. She kept elongating it, until both of her arms were as far apart as they could go, and she spun it over her head, and brought it behind her, shortening it as it lowered behind her back. She couldn't see the water anymore, but she knew it was there. She made it longer again, until her arms were fully spread out, then she brought it around her waist so the whip was in front of her again. She repeated this move until she could do it faster and better. Katara smiled at her progress. Incorporating this into a dance move was going to be way too easy.

While stretching her arms out, she took one step to the right, and she dragged her left foot to follow, creating a sliding motion. She repeated this move when she lengthened the whip behind her, too.

She sighed with satisfaction, and brushed off her skirt. She was about to try another move when the people around her began stirring with excitement.

"What's going on?" Katara asked a woman who looked like she was in a rush.

"They're here! They're here!" She replied breathlessly, and left without another word.

Katara cocked her head. _Who's here?_

A little girl ran past her, and she tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, but why are you in such a hurry?"

"Moonlight Dancers!" She shrieked with delight, and continued running.

Katara's eyes grew wide. _They're here? They're here!_ She had forgotten that they were coming today. Katara ran into her house to get Sokka.

"Sokka, hurry up, we gotta go, they're here!" Katara ushered.

"Who?" Sokka asked, confused.

Katara glared at him. "Who else?" she replied, and grabbed his arm. Sokka yelped. "Wait! Where are you taking me?"

They arrived at their huge stadium. Katara pushed Sokka down into a sitting position. He was about to yell something in protest, but Katara quickly shushed him.

A woman came onto the stage. "Welcome, one and all, to our annual performance!" she said.

Katara recognized her as her "favorite" when she was little. She clapped enthusiastically along with all the other people around her. Then the crowd was hushed as the dancers began. It was a couple of minutes into the show when Katara realized that this was exactly the same performance she had seen last year, and the year before that. She was very disappointed. The rest of the show, Katara sat there, her once excited expression became a bored one. When the others realized the same thing Katara had, they too wore the same uninterested expression. Some even left, grumbling their dissatisfaction.

An hour later, after half the crowd had departed, the performers stopped. Aleta sighed. She knew this was going to happen, it was the same with every other place they went to. Why would they be any different, even if they were her tribe mates?

Katara looked up, to see the dancers stop, and her favorite walked up to the front of the stage.

"I'm really sorry, to all of you, we were supposed to have a new performance this year, but…mistakes happen, and we weren't able to make a new one," she explained apologetically. "I do hope that the next time we perform, you guys still make it." She smiled half-heartedly, and hopped gracefully off the stage. When she disappeared backstage, Katara got up.

"Sokka, wait for me here. I need to talk to them…" Katara said.

"Sure, sis, but be careful," he replied. "They're all way older than you."

Katara nodded gratefully, and ran away. She was about to go backstage when she heard voices. She stopped.

"I doubt anybody will show up at our performance again," A man's voice said.

"We have to try, and this time, we'll think of a new idea, and this time, _no mistakes,_" a woman said. Katara recognized the young female voice as her favorite. _What does she mean by "no mistakes"? What mistakes did they make?_

"I'm sorry…" another woman said.

"It's not your fault, Mya, I just wish another skilled waterbending dancer would just show up at my doorstep as much as you do," She sighed. "We desperately need one…" she added bitterly.

Katara gasped. This was her chance!

She stepped out of the shadows and said, "I would like to oblige." They all turned to look at her.


	4. Will I Make It?

**A/N: Thank you everybody for your wonderful reviews, I love all of you who decide to share your opinions! And I thank all of you who added this story to their favorites. I dedicate this story to you guys.**

Aleta frowned. "I'm sorry, but our group only accept waterbenders."

Katara cocked her head. "I am a water bender," she replied.

She watched her favorite laugh. "You're kidding. I'm sorry hun, but _I'm _the last waterbender from the Southern Tribe."

Katara gasped. She was from the Southern Water Tribe, too! No wonder she felt a connection to her…

"No please, if you just give me a chance…" She heard herself say.

Aleta shook her head stubbornly. "I think you're mistaken. The fire nation took all the waterbenders. You can't possibly be one."

"But I-"

"I think you should leave now," she interrupted.

Katara's eyes started to water. This was her only chance, and it was slipping through her fingers. She was about to turn away, when she heard a man's voice.

"Wait, Aleta. Give her a chance."

She found the source of the voice, and it turned out to belong just a simple caterer, with dazzling golden eyes…

"Yeah, Aleta, she might be the one," Another girl added. The girl beside her, who looked exactly like her, nodded her silent agreement.

Aleta sighed. She was clearly outnumbered. She gave in and said, "Fine. One chance, girl."

Katara bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you, you won't regret it."

She watched the two men in the back talk to her favorite, who she assumed was the leader of the group. Her favorite nodded. She turned back to Katara.

Her blue eyes met Katara's. "I will be judging you. Me, and only me."

Katara gulped. She didn't seem to be easily won over. "Alright."

She turned to the caterer. "Would you like to watch, too?" The boy seemed surprised, but nodded. He was intrigued by the girl standing before him. She was pretty. No, she was beautiful. And she was around the same age as him, too.

"You may meet us back here in an hour. Exactly an hour, and if you come a second late, you will not get another opportunity, do I make myself clear?" Aleta said sternly.

"Yes, ma'am," Katara agreed obediently.

Aleta nodded her approval. "You are dismissed, then."

OoOoOoO

Katara felt like leaping, flying, soaring up into the deep blue sky. Today was going perfectly. But along with her happiness, came another emotion. It was nervousness, anxiety. It kept tugging at her. _What if I don't make it? What if they reject me? What if I'll never get another chance at it again? _She knit her eyebrows, but then decided to relax. She brushed all her "what if" questions aside, and focused on her goal. If she practiced hard enough, she would definitely make it. Katara set aside time for her to rest, too. She didn't want to practice too hard, or else she'd be out of breath before they even started the audition.

For the next half an hour, she practiced her routine, and what she was going to perform at the audition. She made sure she was hydrated every step of the way so she wouldn't be tempted to drink the water she was bending. Then, she spent five minutes resting, and the next five minutes recalling all of the steps in her routine. After that, she rested for another five minutes. After she killed about 45 minutes, she ran back toward the stage, making sure she was on time.

"You just made it," Aleta announced, leaping off the stage. "Now show me what you've got."

"Alright. Okay. I can do this," Katara said, inhaling deeply through her nose, and exhaling through her mouth. She began slowly, taking large steps, and moving the water so it flowed with her movements.

Aleta's eyes grew wide, and she leaned forward. "So she _is _the last water bender…"

Then Katara's movements became faster, quicker, and more agile. She twirled, leaped, jumped, and spun, and the water moved with her, speeding up when she sped up, and slowing down when she slowed down. She performed the slide move she learned earlier today, and she smiled to herself when she did it perfectly. She started to spin, and while she twirled, she raised her hand above her head, and water fell her around her in a spiral motion.

Zuko watched open mouthed at the young girl dancer. She was absolutely amazing. The way she moved made Zuko melt inside, and everything around her disappeared.

She separated her water into six balls, spinning them around her waist and juggling them in the air. She made three of the balls into ice daggers, and she threw the other three balls into the air, turned them to ice, and threw the daggers at them. They shattered like sparkling crystal fireworks. She threw her arms up, and opened them wide. She was breathing heavily and smiling broadly. Her finale went exactly, if not _better, _than she expected. She looked at Aleta's expression. She seemed impassive. Katara started to worry. _Did I do that bad? _Then her eyes settled on the boy beside her. His golden eyes stared up at her with amazement. His lips separated ever so slightly. She smiled at his expression. He finally noticed that she had caught him staring, and lowered his eyes, embarrassed.

Aleta was bursting. _FINALLY! She's the one. She's definitely the one. _She couldn't help but be a little bit jealous, her talents were undeniable, and she needed a little bit of work, but the group needed her. And from the looks of it, she seemed to really want this. Aleta tried hard to remain expressionless.

Aleta sighed. "Well…" she began. She saw the girl draw in a sharp intake of breath. "The Moonlight Dancers welcomes you to our group," she finished. Katara let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. She felt like flying.

"Thank you," She breathed. _Thank you, thank you, thank you! _She added in her head. She bowed. She wanted to scream a million thanks to the world, to spread her arms out and fall into the clouds. She giggled to herself. She was so giddy with happiness. Aleta stood to leave, and Katara followed her.

Aleta clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "I'd like to introduce everyone to our new recruit." She pushed Katara forward. "Introduce yourself to everyone."

"Hi," Katara squeaked, waving her hand meekly. "My name is Katara, and I am 14 years old."

"Only fourteen!" A man exclaimed.

"Oh hush up, we were all around her age when we joined," One of the twins said.

"She's the youngest to ever join," The other twin said shyly. "Aleta wouldn't accept her unless she's really good."

Her favorite nodded. _So her name is Aleta…That's a pretty name…_

"I expect you to treat her with the same respect you give me," Aleta said. "That is all, you are dismissed."

They nodded and left. The only people left were Katara, Aleta, the catering boy, who was apparently the janitor too, and an old man.

"Well Katara, I better get going, and you can head home too," Aleta said. "Goodbye, and see you tomorrow, in the same spot."

"Wait, I thought you all stuck together," Katara said.

"Oh, we do, we book hotels of some sort, and we stay there for the night. Once you're on the move with us, you will be staying with us, too." Aleta replied. Katara nodded, and watched her go.

She noticed the caterer boy watching her. She averted her gaze, blushing. Her eyes landed on the old man, who smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Would you like some tea, young lady?" He asked politely.

"No thanks," She said with a smile. She looked around nervously, and said to no one in particular, "Well…I guess I'm going to head home now…" and left. She could feel someone staring at her from behind, and she assumed it was the boy. She smiled shyly to herself.

Zuko stared at her as she walked away. She was so beautiful…and the way she moved was mesmerizing. Even the way she walked was light and graceful, just like her dance moves.

Katara sighed happily, and plopped down on her bed. She was about to fall asleep, when she felt Sokka sitting next to her.

"So…how was it?" He asked nervously.

She was halfway to dreamland, but she managed to respond. "Perfect," she muttered, and drifted to sleep.

**A/N: I'm having so much fun writing this story! I hope you like it too, and don't forget to put in one review so I can fall asleep happy tonight! ****J**


	5. Traveling

**A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner, and thanks for all the reviews! Because of you guys I fell asleep happy that night! :)**

Katara woke up extra early the next day, and hopped out of bed before stretching a little. She changed into her usual outfit, but she knew that she was going to get a new uniform to wear when she was performing. A jolt of excitement ran through her when she thought of what her new life was going to be like. She wondered why they needed a new dancer in the first place. Katara shrugged. She wouldn't question her good luck. She combed her hair and then braided it again, all while brushing her teeth.

"Katara? Breakfast!" Sokka said, when she popped out of the bathroom.

"Sorry Sokka, I'm going to have to skip it for now!" She yelled over her shoulder. Putting in her hair loopies and slipping on her boots, she headed outside. She touched her necklace and made sure it was there. It was.

"Wait! Where are you going? When are you coming back? Katara!" Sokka called.

"I'm going to join the Moonlight Dancers! I'll be coming back when we perform here again. I thought I told you this!" She replied.

"What? When did I give you permission?" Sokka asked.

"Do you give me permission?"

"Well, yes, since this is your dream and all, but—"

"Thanks Sokka!" She kissed her brother's cheek, and rushed out the door before Sokka could protest further. He shook his head in defeat, and decided it was best not to get in her way.

She was running towards the stage, and when she got there, she wasn't even out of breath. She found the catering boy with the old man again; who she assumed was his father. Nobody else was there.

She waved. "Hey! Where is everyone else?" she asked. She didn't know who in particular she was asking, but she hoped one of them would respond.

"They are not here yet. We come here early to pack up," The old man replied.

"Oh," Katara said. "Let me help you!"

"No, it's quite all right, we can handle ourselves," the man protested.

She ignored him and picked up all the used dishes, and lined them up across the countertop. She started to wash them with her waterbending. He smiled at her persistence and her willingness to help others. Katara didn't notice the two of them staring at her; she was too caught up in her waterbending. She was used to practicing her waterbending while washing the dishes, so usually it was like a mini show for anyone who was watching. She wasn't trying to show off, no the idea never occurred to her. She mixed the soap with the water, and bent it into a whip. She "cut" the whip into balls, and placed each section onto a plate. Once all the plates had a soapy water ball on top, she moved her hands in a circular pattern, making the water spin on the plates scrubbing it clean. She was gentle enough so the plates wouldn't break, but tough enough to get the stubborn stains out. In a few minutes, all the dishes were cleaned. She bent the dirty water from the plates, and put it in the sink, where the water washed down the drain. Then, she picked all the plates up, stacking one on top of the other, and handed them all to the old man. He stared at her open-mouthed.

He blinked. "Oh...thank you...uh..." He tried to remember her name.

"Katara." She responded. "And your name is..?" She asked.

"Mushi. And this is my nephew, Lee." He said.

She looked into his amber eyes and raised an eyebrow. She was a little bit suspicious, but she accepted the names. "Well it's nice to meet you, Mushi." She smiled at the younger man and nodded towards him while saying, "You too, Lee." Surprisingly, instead of saying anything, he turned away. Katara frowned to herself, wondering why he did that.

**((In this story, the Avatar was not found, and Zuko gave up searching for him a long time ago.))**

However, she showed no sign of offense, and perked up. "I'll go clean the cups now," She left. Once she got busy with the cups, Iroh turned to Zuko and glared at him. "What is the matter with you?"

He didn't look at his uncle, and continued sweeping. Iroh sighed. Sometimes that boy was so hard to talk to.

Katara had finished washing the cups, and kept them on the counter. She had a question for Mushi, and she didn't want to forget it.

"So how are we going to travel?" She asked.

Mushi smiled. He knew that she was going to be very surprised when she found out their method of travel. "You'll see," He answered simply.

She nodded and raised her eyebrow, but said nothing because at that moment, Aleta arrived with a relatively large box. She set it down.

"Good morning, Katara!" She said.

"Good morning, Aleta," Katara replied. She looked at the box curiously.

"You'll see what's in the box when the time comes," Aleta said as a response to Katara's look.

Katara smiled and nodded.

Aleta looked out into the ocean. "So Katara, I would like for you to pick an iceberg for today," She instructed. Aleta laughed at her incredulous look. "You'll find out what it's for later."

She was hesitant, but she agreed. Pointing at the biggest one, she said, "That one."

Aleta nodded. "Good choice! Let's bring it over here." She started pushing and pulling the waves. Katara followed her movements, and soon enough, the iceburg was right in front of them, on the edge of where water met land. Aleta cut off the pointed top so it was nice and flat. "Now put our things onto the iceberg." Katara followed her instructions. She took the box of plates and cups, and put it onto the iceburg. The iceberg was big enough to hold about 20 people. Aleta then showed her how to latch everything on by freezing the bottom of the item to the iceberg. The whole morning went along like that. Aleta would hand her a box, and she would freeze it to the iceberg. Soon, all the boxes were attached, and there was still enough room to seat all the members of the group, including Lee and Mushi. When the rest of the group arrived, they were ready to leave. It suddenly dawned on Katara that they were going to use the iceberg to _travel._

They all climbed on, and Aleta and Katara got up and started pushing the waves forward, into the direction they wanted to travel. Then they were speeding across the ocean, the wind whipping at Katara's braid and skirt. They each took shifts every ten minutes. The ones who weren't taking shifts would sit and talk, or rest a while. The only people who didn't take shifts were Mushi and Lee. Katara noticed that Mushi would talk a lot, he was very friendly, and everyone liked him. Lee, on the other hand, didn't talk much. He would sit there, with his chin cupped in his palm, his elbow propped up on his knee, and stare at the ocean.

One of the twins had caught her staring, Katara learned that her name was Shya, and she had told her, "Don't worry about him. He's usually like that."

Katara smiled and nodded. She still felt bad that no one even bothered to even start a conversation with him. Katara decided she would talk to him. She was getting up when...

"Aleta, Katara, your shifts!" The louder twin called. Her name was Mya.

They both stood up and took over. Katara was contemplating what she should talk to Lee about, and she decided that it was best to start with the basics. Once her shift was over, she sat down next to Lee, who was shocked that she would sit next to him.

"Hello," She said with a friendly wave.

He raised an amused eyebrow and waved back. It was a short wave, but at least it was something.

"So...how old are you?" Katara asked.

He continued to stare at her, as if she had two heads. _Does she really want to talk to me? _He asked himself. _Why does she... _Katara cleared her throat, and brought him out of his thoughts. "Uh...sixteen." he replied. She nodded. _Two years older than me..._she thought. She tried to think of what to say next.

Zuko could tell that she was having some trouble keeping the conversation going. Without thinking, he blurted, "You dance nice!" He cursed himself. _YOU DANCE NICE? That's what you came up with. Great. Now she's going to think you're an idiot._

To his surprise, she blushed. "Thank you."

He nodded, and Katara took that as a "you're welcome". "So is Mushi your dad?" She wondered aloud.

"Uhm...no. He's my uncle," He answered. Zuko decided to ask some questions of his own. "How old are _you?_" He repeated the question she asked earlier.

"Fourteen. Yesterday was my birthday," She replied.

Lee rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...happy late birthday.." It came out more like a question.

"Thanks."

"Who's your teacher?" He inquired.

She blinked. "Come again?"

"Who taught you to dance like that?" He reiterated.

"Oh..." she paused. "Well, when I was little, my mom taught me...but now I teach myself." She looked away.

"Why did she stop teaching you?" He knew it was kind of a personal question, so he hesitated before asking.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He quickly added, "If you don't want to answer then it's okay."

She shook her head. "It's alright. My mom..." she held back her tears, which were on the verge of spilling. "...is dead. The Fire Nation killed her."

He felt a stab of guilt and sympathy. "I am so sorry..."

"It's alright. It's not your fault," She replied, quickly wiping her tears with her sleeve. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his golden eyes.

_What am I doing? _Zuko asked himself. A second ago, he had felt the sudden urge to comfort her, but now, he didn't know what to say or do. "Um...I-if it makes you feel better...my mom...uh...got taken away, too." He stuttered.

She smiled. "By the fire nation?" she asked.

"Yeah...you could say that."

He took his warm hand off of her shoulder and took her gloved hand. He squeezed it reassuringly. Her eyes danced, and her smile grew.

They didn't notice that Iroh was watching them, and he too, was smiling. Zuko finally shows his kind side! He sighed contentedly.

"Katara, are you going to help me keep this moving, or are you going to sit there smiling all day?" Aleta called. Katara's cheeks flushed a deep crimson before whispering, "Sorry!" She let go of his hand, and stood on the opposite side of Aleta. She took her stance and pushed the water forward.

She turned and saw Aleta smiling at her. Katara raised an eyebrow, and tried to force down her own smile.

Meanwhile, Zuko was trying to figure out what just happened. He barely knows the girl, and yet...she makes his heart tremble? No...he can't be...but he is? No. He decided that before he could give in to the feeling, he has to at least know her better.

When Katara's shift was over, she immediately turned to Zuko.

"I'm back!" She announced. Her enthusiasm made him chuckle. Her eyes shone. She never heard him laugh before, but it was melodic and wonderful.

Katara looked out at the ocean, and suddenly she remembered that she never practiced any routine. She'd be totally lost when it came time to perform!

She turned to Lee. "Excuse me for a sec, I need to ask Aleta something..." She said, and he nodded. She got up quickly, a little too quickly, and slipped on the smooth ice. She braced herself for the fall, but instead, She felt two muscular arms catch her. She opened her eyes, and she was staring at the sky. She turned to her left and saw Lee, trying to suppress his laughter. She blushed. "Thanks..." she breathed, and got up, slowly this time, and brushed off her skirt.

"Aleta!" Katara called, walking towards her. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?" Aleta said.

"Well, when are we going to practice the routine?" Katara asked.

"We will be practicing it later on in the Earth Kingdom. We have a nice practice area there, and our next performance is in a week. It's close to the practice area."

"Oh, good," Katara let out a sigh of relief.

"What, you didn't think that we'd let you go on stage without any idea of what to do, did you?" Aleta laughed.

"Um yeah...I guess it was kind of stupid." Katara replied, blushing. "Thank you."

Aleta nodded in response. Katara felt her getting warmer and warmer. Aleta felt it too, and she stood up and announced, "We must be getting close to the Earth Kingdom." Everybody nodded, and then resumed talking.

"You might want to take off that heavy jacket of yours," Aleta added to Katara. Katara agreed. She was already starting to sweat a little.

"Where do I put it?" She asked.

"With all our coats over there in that box," Aleta answered, pointing at one of the medium-sized boxes. Katara thanked her and folded up her jacket, tossing it into the box. She returned to Lee. He was looking out at the ocean again. She opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it.

"We're here."

**A/N: I know you read this story just to read my author's notes! :) I'll probably update waaayy faster next time...if you review... Remember, you guys are my inspiration!**


	6. Arriving

**A/N: I haven't updated in a while, and I apologize for that. It would've been a **_**really long **_**while if it wasn't for ****zutaraluvr10****! I love that you check this story daily, **_**that **_**is true dedication! Really guys, I love random reviews! Actually, all of your reviews are awesome. Here's the sixth chapter, my wonderful readers!**

At around early noon the iceberg they were sitting on started to melt. The group had to huddle in the middle because the outside already melted, pieces of the iceberg crashing to the ocean and drifting away. As they neared the shore, the iceberg suddenly cracked in half, then the halves cracked in half, and soon, everyone had their own little ice floe. The benders quickly surged through the water, while the two non-benders rode on the shaky waves, trying to keep their balance.

"Hurry, hurry! Help those two to shore," Aleta instructed, waving her arms in the air and pointing to Iroh and Zuko, who were on their hands and knees, gripping onto their floes for dear life. Once or twice, Zuko almost fell into the water, but Katara caught him with her water "arms" that rose out of the ocean around him. Finally, he washed up onto the sand, the ice disappearing from under him. He was still on his hands and knees, panting and wet. His throat was dry, he tasted salt, and he had sand in places where sand was most _definitely _not supposed to be.

"Lee!" Katara called. "Lee, are you alright?" She was running towards him.He coughed, his head hanging down, he stared at the sand, trying to steady himself. Coughing made his throat hurt even more.

"I'm fine," he answered, his voice hoarse. He got up, still swaying a little. He put his hands on his knees for support.

Katara turned to Aleta. "Do you guys travel by iceberg all the time?"

"No, this was our second time. We only travel by iceberg if absolutely necessary. You see, we are kind of in a rush. You need to learn the routine, and we need to make a huge comeback. We were hired to do a show in this huge stadium in Ba Sing Se, and we can't afford to lose that one opportunity," Aleta paused. "We're counting on _you._"

Katara felt a stab of anxiety. That didn't really help her nerves.

"Don't worry," Aleta quickly added, "I wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't truly talented, and you are _very _gifted."

Katara tried to force down her smile, and the pride she was feeling. "Thank you," She managed to squeak.

Aleta nodded, and pointed to Zuko. "I need you to help him walk. He's not very stable at the moment."

Katara looked over at Zuko, who was swaying like a drunkard. She hurried over to him, and put his arm around her shoulders. She hoisted him up, and tried to walk straight, but Zuko was pretty heavy. Soon, Mya, or Shya, she couldn't tell, came over to help her, and put Zuko's other arm around her shoulders.

"What's wrong with him?" Katara asked.

"Who? You mean Lee? Oh, he gets majorly seasick when we ride icebergs," the twin answered. It was Mya. Katara could tell by her loud and strong voice.

"Water…" Zuko whispered hoarsely. "Need…drink…"

Katara started to worry. Was he dehydrated? She bent some water from what was left of the iceberg into his mouth, making sure it wasn't salty. He hungrily gulped down the water, and immediately started to straighten. He shrugged the two girls off, his head still pounding. He wasn't swaying as much now, but he was still slightly unsteady.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked Mya.

"To our hotels. Well, they're more like mini cottages. We each get one, except for my sister and I. We share one. In each cottage, there's one bed, one table, and one chair. Except for mine, I have two beds. One for me, and one for Shya. The people at the stadium already paid for the rent. It's one of the perks of being a performer," Mya explained. "Meals will be either cooked or bought later on." she added.

Katara exploded with excitement. She'd never stayed at a hotel, or traveled before. Actually, she'd never really left her small village in the South Pole. After sitting for so long, it felt good to stretch her legs and walk for a while. At least, that's what she thought for the first couple minutes. However, walking got tiring after maybe an hour or so. At the second hour, she was tired, thirsty, and very, very, hungry. So when Aleta announced that they had arrived, she collapsed on her bed moaning, "When's lunch?"

Laughing, Aleta replied, "I'll go buy something." And with that, she took everyone's orders and left.

Katara buried her head in her pillow, which was pleasantly soft and puffy. She hadn't realized how tired she was, because she fell asleep effortlessly. She woke when the delicious smells wafted towards her, and Aleta called, "Lunch is here!"

Katara yawned and walked out of her cottage into the sunshine. When she sat down to eat and took in her surroundings for the first time that day. The cottages were lined up next to each other on either sides of her. There was one big cottage on each end. All of the cottages formed a rectangle around the center, which was where they were eating. Aleta had taken out something that looked like a picnic blanket, and laid it on the ground. She had instructed them to sit on it and eat. Each small cottage looked exactly like the one next to it. A straw roof, with two windows that were more like square-shaped holes in the wall. There was also a wooden door with a rusty knob in the middle of those two windows. There was also one big window in the back, but that one had shutters. The walls were made of stone, and on the inside there was a dirt floor, one bed made of bamboo and wood, one wooden chair, and a small round table with a candle stub on top of it. Katara had found spark rocks under the fluffy pillow.

The big cottages had straw roofs, too. However, theirs had two windows with shutters, the door was on the left instead of the middle, and the two windows were on the right side. They also had a big window in the back, and a chimney. Inside there was a small rug, two wooden chairs, a rectangular table with two candle stubs on top, two beds on either side of the table, and a fireplace. Katara knew that they also had spark rocks under their pillows, too. The fireplace was unnecessary, even though it was the middle of January. The part of the Earth Kingdom that they were currently in is spring all year long, as opposed to Katara's home, where it's winter all year long.

Katara finished up her noodle soup, and gulped down the last of the broth. As it slid down her throat, it warmed her insides, melting the tension away. She sighed contentedly, and dismissed herself.

"Wait!" Aleta called. Katara spun around and turned her attention to her. "You may rest for now, but after a couple hours, I will call for you, and we will start your practice session. We can't afford to waste our time, okay?"

Katara nodded. In a few hours, she'd be called down to practice the routine. She wouldn't miss it for the world.

**A/N: Lunch time for me! Boy am I hungry…and again, I am super sorry for the wait. And from now on I can only promise one update a week. I'm getting busier! (And I lost my USB for some time…)**

**So…are you thinking about reviewing? If not, think again! C'mon, press the button, say something nice, (or critical) and I'll feel better! Can't wait to see what you have to say. But for now, I gotta go!**


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